1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor module for use as a structural part of a digital camera or a camera-equipped cell phone and also relates to a method of making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5 illustrates an example of prior art image sensor module. The illustrated image sensor module 100 comprises a substrate 104 having an obverse surface on which an image sensor chip 105 is mounted and a frame 103 is attached. A lens holder 101 holding a lens 102 is mounted to the frame 103. With this structure, light traveling from an object passes through the lens 102 to form an image of the object on the image sensor chip 105. The substrate 104 has a reverse surface provided with a plurality of terminals 106 electrically connected to the image sensor chip 105. The image sensor module 100 is mounted on a mother board 107 in a cell phone for constituting the camera-equipped cell phone, for example.
The image sensor module 100 is mounted to the mother board 107 as follows. First, before mounting the lens holder 101 to the frame 103, the substrate 104 is mounted to the mother board 107 by reflow soldering. Then, the lens holder 101 is mounted to the frame 103. In this way, the mounting is performed through two steps, because if reflow soldering is performed with the lens holder 101 mounted to the frame 103, the lens 102 may be damaged by heat.
However, the mounting of the image sensor module 100 through such two steps is troublesome. Particularly, in the case where a cell phone manufacturer installs the image sensor module 100 in a cell phone, the manufacturer also needs to attach the lens holder 101 to the frame 103 after mounting the substrate 104. Thus, the maker has to substantially perform assembling of the image sensor module, which is great burden on the manufacturer.
Another example of prior art image sensor module is shown in FIG. 6. In the illustrated image sensor module 200, a substrate 201 on which an image sensor chip 202 is mounted has a reverse surface to which a connection cable 204 electrically connected to a plurality of terminals 203 is connected. The connection cable 204 has a tip end connected to a plug 205 which can be inserted into a socket type connector. With such a structure, in the case where a cell phone manufacturer installs the image sensor module 200 in a cell phone, the manufacture needs only to insert the plug 205 of the connection cable 204 into a socket type connector, and the work is very easy.
However, in the prior art structure, it is necessary to prepare the connection cable provided with the plug 205 and to connect the connection cable 204 to the substrate 201. Therefore, the number of parts and the number of process steps for making an image sensor module are increased, which leads to an increase in the manufacturing cost.